Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 81 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ye . 2 4 ‘ -_— bling whites were beginning to take heart again, he suddenly wheeled about, and came running down the guich like a madman, waving his hand and shouting something to his friends which was incom- prehensible from his very excitement. “Back to the wagon, every one of you!” com- manded Captain Shields, turning to the women. ‘“‘Don’t wait a second! That means that the Co- manches are coming! To your stations, boys, and let us die like men!”’ CHAPTER XIV. THE LAST DAY IN DEAD MAN’S GULCH. - ONLY a few seconds and Egbert Rodman was in the middle of the encampment, breathless and wild. **The whole horde of Indians are coming back!” he called out, as soon as he could frame the words, ‘‘They are but a short distance away, and will be here in the next minute!” The words had scarcely been uttered, when the borders of the gulch were swarming with yelling Comanches. The women had barely time to scram- ble under shelter, when the red-skins were upon them. “Fire, as you can load and aim!” called out Cap- tain Shields, while yet his men were leaping to their places. ‘Don’t wait, but let them have it! We may as well die fighting like men!”’ rack! crack! barked the rifles of the scouts, in a — fusilade among the horsemen, the fatal re- sults being instantly seen, in the Comanches here poe there dropping from the backs of their mus- angs. This destructive fire accomplished the best thing ossible, in that it prevented the wholesale charge Frat was so much to be dreaded; as it could not fail to be d fatal almost on the instant. » The incessant sleet of bullets sent into the ranks of the ved-skins created an unexpected confusion and just as our friends had reached the last round of their ammunition, they fell back out of range and dismounting, crept to the edge of the gulch and began firing down upon the encampment, just as the scouts themselves would have done had the po- sition been reve Despite the exaggerated assertion of the startled Egbert, as he dashed into the camp, Captain Shields became well satisfied from the glimpse he had gain- ed, that the Comanche force was divided, and he was now fighting against only a portion of those against whom he had been pitted before, the others, as he rightly suspected, having followed on in pur- suit of the fying messenger, and with the purpose of trapping and ambuscading the cavalry that would Me sent, in all probability, to the rescue of the little band of whites, But there was little consolation to be derived from this discovery, as there were certainly over a hun- dred Comanches at hand, and they unquestionabl had the power, when they should choose to put it forth, to crush out of existence himself and every one of his brave men. One single determined charge, a few minutes’ appalling conflict around. the wagons and then not a man need be left to tell the awful tale - the last appalling massacre of Dead Man’s Gulch. - The red-skins kept up the cautious policy of lying flat upon their faces, just over the edge of the ra- vine, and aiming deliberately down into the encamp- ment. By this time the canvas of the wagons was riddled, and knowing pretty well at what points to aim, the atest caution was necessary upon the art of the scouts to escape the bullets that were ying all about them. Fully a dozen of these merciless wretches directed their exclusive attention to the wagon which they knew contained the helpless members of the party, and such a steady fire was kept upon it that the canvas in a few minutes looked like a sieve, pierced in every part by bullets, many of which im themselves in the impenetrable planks of which the wagon-body was composed. 1is was the first time since the opening of this dreadful siege that such a demonstration was made and the unrelenting malignity which characterized it excited the wonder of the scouts, who believed that the Comanches were so infuriated at the losses already suffered, that some of the survivors who may have lost their closest relatives were bent upon exterminating every one, man, woman and child, without awaiting what might be considered the in- evitable capture of the females. But provision had been made against this very thing from the first. The sides of the vehicle, be- hind the canvas, had been walled up with packages and bundles, in such a skillful fashion that so long as the little party could be made to keep between them and near the center of the wagon-body, they were as impervious to the rifle-shots as if incased in an ironclad of the navy. This steacy stream of fire from the boundary of the gulch continued until the greater portion of the day had passed. So long as it continued without any concentration upon the part of the Comanches, Captain Shields was satisfied, for nothing short of a cannonade could demolish the barricades that had withstood such a terrific fire for so many hours. With the sole purpose of preventing any coup delat upon the part of the red-skins, the intrepid captain called to men to send a shot among them now and then, taking care, however, that in every case the rifleman discharged his gun at a fair target. These opportunities, fortunately for our friends, were few, and veg f were thus saved the fatal reve- lation that could have had but one terrible result upon the part of the valiant defenders. Captain Shields was thus kept so incessantly em- loyed, both in body and mind, that he had little time in which to think of the apparition, and the ominous warning which he fervently believed it Lightning Jo. | foreshadowed; but, now and then, in the heat of the | conflict, it came to him with its dreadful depression of spirits, and made him sigh and wish that the | “last minute’? would come and the agony end. | This fearful fire continued until darkness descend- ed upon the prairie, and when the light failed a luil | came so sudden as to cause aringing and peculiar _ lightness of the head that almost drove away the | Senses of those that remained. . | Captain shieids waited a few minutes, and finding a possibility of this quiet lasting for a short time, he determined to make the round, and exchange a few words with his friends, He was alone in the wagon which he had chosen for his sentry-box, and stealing cautiously out, he hurried across the clearing to that containing the women and children. He found them stunned, paralyzed and nearly dead from the awful ordeal throu ch which they had passed, but a little inquiry proved them all untouched by the bul- lets that had been sent so inhumanly after them. Then he made the rounds of the other vehichles, and a blood-chilling discovery awaited him. Out of th® five defenders besides himself, only one, Egbert Rodman, remained alive, the other four having been struck and killed by the balls of the Comanches! ‘What is the use?’ said the stunned officer, as he took the hand of the young man and helped him out upon the green sward; “‘ we two are the only ones left, and I have fired my last round of ammunition, even to my pistols.”’ **So have I,’ returned Egbert; ‘“‘we may as well go to the women and die defending them. The last momentis at hand,” ‘*It is here!” said Captain Shields, in a clear voice. “Look! there they come!”’ As he spoke, he pointed up the sides of the gulch, | where, in the dim fight of the early night, the horse- men were seen gathering for the final charge. The next moment it came! CHAPTER XV. THE RESCUE. THE next moment a strange, wild yell broke the stillness, or rather sounded above the thunder of the horses’ hoofs, and the two men, standing sullenly by the wagon in the center of the encampment, and awaiting their doom, like those who, having done al] that was pee an could now do nothing else. Again that indescribable yell rung out over the orairie, and Captain Shields straightened himself — a flash, and gave a gasp of amazement, if not of error. “Did you hear that, Egbert?’ he demanded, clutching the arm of the h bey or ves man at his side. “ By heavens! they are not Indians, but Light- ning Jo, and his men from Fort Adams!”’ The next minute the clearing within the encamp- ment was filled by a score of men, who, leaping from their horses, and leaving them outside of the circle of wagons, came rus in upon the little party from every direction. ‘“Helloa! here, where are you?’’ shouted the fa- mous scout; “This ain't a game of hide and seek. Come out and show yourselves.” This was uttered in a cheery, hearty way, but mingled with the voice could have been detected a tone of awe and dread, like one who in reality was afraid to hear the same answer which he had de- manded. ‘* Here we are,” replied Captain Shields, as he and Rodman walked forward to meet their deliverers. ‘*But the rest of Fm gabe grac are they? Speak quick, old fellow,” added Jo, taking the hand of the two, both of whom were his acquaintances; ‘‘ we are a a hurry, and want to hear all that is to be heard.” “There they are,’”’ returned Egbert, pointing to the wagons; “some are beneath them, and some are within them, but every one is dead!”’ ** What!’ exclaimed Lightnihg Jo; “you had women and children with you—they are not all gone? I heard that Lizzie Manning, the sweetest little girl in Santa Fe, or anywhere else, was with you. Where is she ?” **Oh, she is all right,’’ returned Captain Shields, who had misunderstood the full import of the ques- tion; “they are unharmed.” But by this time Gibbons, who knew just where to look for them, called out that they were safe, and he and many of the soldiers gathered about the wagon to congratulate and give them what assistance was in their power. Their kindnesses were needed, for during the latter rtion of this day all had suffered the most agoniz- g thirst, the scant supply which had been furnish- ed them so unexpectedly lasting them but a short time, and then seeming to intensify that intolerable craving that drives the strongest man mad, until all were overcome by a sort of stupor, in which they were sensible only of dull, yearning pain, that could not be quieted. TE Here Fen much, the soldiers were prepared, and more than one canteen of cool, refreshing, de- licious and reviving water was offered to the suffer- ing women and children, and almost instantly new life was apy to all, and they awoke to a realiz- ing sense of their position, and to the fact that they had been rescued, ‘Are you there, Lizzie?” asked Lightning Jo, crowding forward, and bee among the group who were Sag serion: | rom the vehicle that had proven such a frien - Minar and fort to them. ‘Helloa! Isee you! ank the good Lord! Iwas very much afeard I'd be too late to save your sweet And taking the half-fainting girl in his long brawny arms, he pressed her to his heart and kissed her cheek, just as affectionately and grate- fully as he would have done had she been his only daughter restored to life. - id ee rr ee — a a eee ——$————— And poor Lizzie, now that she saw that the awful danger had passed, could not prevent her womau’'s nature from asserting itself. Resting her head upon the bosom of the brave-hearted scout, she could only sob in the utter abandonment of feeling. She knew that so long as Lightning Jo stood near her there was nothing to be feared from any mortal danger that walked this earth; and the tense point to which her mind had been strung for so long a time, now fully reacted, and she became as weak and helpless as the youngest of the children whe were beginning to awake from their stupor. And so, without attempting to speak, she simply sobbed, and allowed her friend to support her in his arms. The rest of the cavalry were not idle. They made a circuit of the wagons, and, as they learned the dreadful truth, something like a heart sickness and awe quieted tae boisterous voices, and they con-- versed in low tones, some muttering curses against the red scourges of the plains, while others ex- pressed their ohm we for the brave men who had perished before relief came. The life of the soldiers on the frontier is such as to accustom them tothe most revolting evidences of the cruelty of the Indians; but there were thoughts that were suggested to the cavalry, by the sight 3 Dead Man’s Gulch, such as did not often come to them, The long-continued and heroic defense of the little party, the torment of thirst, the vain attacks of the 1erocious Comanches, the unflinching bravery of men and women, the steady dropping of the scouts until only ten were left, the total giving out of the ammunition, and then the sullen despair, in which the last defenders awaited the last charge; these pictures came to the minds of the cavalrymen im more vivid colors than they can to the reader who has seen nothing of the wild, daring life of the frontier. Gibbons quickly told his story to his friends. After the diversion created by Lightning Jo’s scrim- mage with the Comanches among the hills, he and his men had put their horses to the full run, and reached the neighborhood of Dead Man's Gulch ors as the lull in the conflict occurred. It was their purpose to charge down upon the red-skins, and give them a taste of vengeance, such as they had not yet encountered; but the cautious Swico had his scouts out, and the approach of the cavalry was oon to him while they were yet a long way o In the hope of still accomplishing nS the majority ef the cavalry started in pursuit of the Comanches, while Lightning Jo and a score of his friends hurried on to Dead Man’s Gulch, where the chief interest now lay. The horses of the soldiers were already exhausted, and they were speedily compelled to return, after having exchanged a few shots with the band of Swico Cheque, as they skurried away in the dark- ness. CHAPTER XVI. HOMEWARD BOUND. THERE were too many horrors hanging around Dead Man’s Gulch for the whites to spend any more time there than was necessary. Several of the wero were overturned upon each other, and then d, and by the aid of this huge bonfire, which sent a glow out upon the prairie for miles, like the rays of the Eddystone light-house over the ocean, they set about their work of mercy. In one of the wagons were placed all the bodies of those who had fallen, and the other was fitted up in the most comfortable manner for the women and children. To these several of the cavalry attached their horses, and making sure that everything that could be of any possible use to the Comanches was burned, the rescuing party started out of the ravine, which was ever afterward to cause a shudder whenever memory recalled the awful experiences to. which they were there doomed. The moon had only fairly risen when the proces- sion slowly wended its vay out from the gulch, and off across the prairie, in the direction of Fort Adams. They were indood what they looked to be a funeral procession, onc another vivid comment. upon the terrible crrors which have governed the associations of the white and red-men from the very first meeting, nearly four hundred years ago. The dragging of the two heavily-laden wagons across the prairie could but be a tedious and weari- some task, and in all probability would not be com- pleted until the second day after starting. Of course there was a possibility thafSwico would return to the attack, if a suitable occasion should offer, but it was not deemed necessary that the entire one hun- oo men should remain to escort them into the. ort. And so when the eighty rode back from the fruit- less pursuit of the main body of Indians, the ar- rangements were made for dividing the company, it being well known that Colonel Greaves could ill af- ford to spare so many men, and would be pleased if such a course could carried out without any ill results flowing peta ee = ee But, first of all, thes s and their riders needed rest after the tremendous charge over the prai and less than a mile from Dead Man’s Gulch, where a sparkling stream of cold water wandered throu a grove of trees, the camp was made for the nig the sentinels being stationed at every point, and such recautions made, as to cause every one to feel per- ectly safe against any disturbance from the malig- nant red-skins, who had too much discretion to in where they knew they would be only too gladly received by the cavalry. Several fires were kindled in the grove, and food cooked, the camping-ground being one of the most pleasant that could possibly have been chosen, ag" (ECO) NANCE OOO) Cc com