Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 85 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

{ ; % Buck Buckram. = ge So ed —_—_—_—————_————————————eee, ee ee good-by to you, and then we'll make a rush out of the cavern.” “T would rather not,” she said, after a mo- ment’s silence; ‘‘it doesn’t seem right to me.’ ‘* Yes, it does, little one,” added the trapper, with a sort of forced gayety in his manner. ‘* It’s a notion of mine, and you'll do it to please me now; won’t you?” She assented, although it was plain to Buck that she was by no means satisfied with the ar- rangement. It having been decided that the rush for life should be made without further delay, Buck lost no time in making his preparations, He had formed a plan of his own, which was to fasten his rifle and that of his comrade to his back, so that his movements might not be im- peded; and then gating aside the bowlder, he would catch up the body, and holding it before him as a shield, make a rush among the terrible Apaches. - He had found, in placing the bowlder at the entrance to the cavern, that: by inserting two -sized stones, one on each side of it, that it could be secured against any pressure from the outside. These wedges removed, and a child could force it inward. Cautioning Bess to remain where she was, he hurried to where the inanimate form of the trap- per lay. The latter held his rifle tightly grasped, and it was with some difficulty he loosened it from his rigid fingers. He then removed his knife and placed it in his own girdle. He now began securing the guns to his per- son, but the smoke was so heavy that he was forced to hurry to the rear of the cave to secure a few breaths of air. : ‘What are you doing with both guns?” in- uired Bess, aa’ began securing them over his shoulder. “Tam going to carry both.” “TIsn’t Dick going with you?” ** Yes; he will go out, too.” ‘Why doesn’t he take his own gun?” * “T can do it better.” Buck Buckram now returned to the mouth of the cave to learn how matters were upon the outside. The fire seemed to be somewhat lower, and the Apaches had evidently grown weary of their furious dancing and shouting. While the trapper was cautiously reconnoiter- ing, Velasquies approached close to the mouth, and called out: ‘‘ Hello, in thar! How did you like my shot?’ ‘‘So it was.you, eh? Very well, Pll settle with you some day, if the good Lord only spares my life.” The half-breed called out several times, but received no response, and Buck heard him say, evidently to himself: ‘‘] guess they’re about used up; we mought as well rush in for them, ef the stone will only give way. Im afeard the gal won’t be able to stand it.” Buck Buckram cautiously drew out the wedge. Then he:turned about and called out, in a cau- tious undertone: ‘**Good-by, Bess!’ ‘“‘Good-by, both of you!” The next instant the bowlder fell inward, and a mass of burning brush and coal lay be- fore it. Buck paused but a second, and then catching up the body of his comrade, he held him partly over his shonldast and before him. With cne leap he cleared the glowing embers, and with a wild yell dashed down through the ravine, among the treacherous Apaches. CHAPTER XVII. RUNNING FOR LIFE. WHEN Buck Buckram burst out of the cave, Shield. kis trapper held Lume him as a sort of s coming was entirely unexpected upon the part of the Panel A i Es They had seen the bowlder fall inward, but they supposed it to be accidental, and were not prepared for any such demonstration. Besides the singular appearance of the trap- r, with his two guns s rapped upon his back, and the limp form of his huge comrade,’mostly covering him, was not understood for a mo- ment. All this operated greatly in favor of Buck, who improved his advantage to theutmost. As he dashed out, he found several Apaches in his way, but he struck them like a thunderbolt, and ran and leaped with might and main. Ina few moments he had cleared those im- mediately surrounding him at his exit, and was in an open space, where he had full opportuni to stretch aga exercise his limbs. RP a He ran about a hundred yards, with the body slungjover his shoulder, when, having no further use for it, he dropped it and turned his whole energies toward escaping by flight. Shouts, yells and screeches followed this dar- ing exploit upon the part of the trapper, and the bullets whistled all about him. Some of the leaden missiles hummed and buzzed close to his ears, and more than one pierced his clothes, but, providentially, he was unharmed. But it was almost a miracle that he was not struck, and Buck had no wish to tempt his good fortune a moment longer than he was com- pelled, The second he reached a place where it was feasible, he dodged behind the intervening rocks, and as much as possible, kept them. between himself and his enemies, so as to disconcert their aim. The Apaches were not content merely to fire their guns, but a half-dozen of the fleetest run- ners started instantly in pursuit. As Buckram leaped aaa ran along, he realized the wisdom of his own words with Dick Havens, when the latter was so anxious to make the at- tempt to escape at once. If he only had the sheltering darkness to pro- tect him, he could throw these bloodhounds off the trail in a very short time; but, as it was near the middle of the day, he could only ho to do it by superior fleetness and skill in dodg- ing. The trapper was remarkably swift on foot; and, as soon as he gained a respectable dis- tance he settled down into a dead run, tearing forward with all the speed of which he was we, Se : or some distance the waywas rough and un- even, and he was compelled to bound forward like the affrighted mountain goat, but after a quarter of a mile or so of such severe labor, he suddenly found himself upon the edge of an open and comparatively level prairie. It looked a little more than a mile broad, while upon the opposite side the rough, rocky character of the country was resumed. It struck the fugitive as favorable, and he in- stantly be speeding across it, while three Apaches—all of whom had ceased firing their guns—followed in close —— The great danger which Buck feared was, that some of his pursuers would fire, in which contingency he could scareely hope to escape; but their actions showed that they were more anxious to secure him than to shoot him; and so long as there was a probability of it, they — oy hy — guns. en ha e open space was passed, and Buck glanced over his shoulder, he found that there was but [one savage who could begin to ual him in he other two had withdrawn entirely, and left it to their single companion to finish. The trapper felt ashamed to flee from a sin- gle red-skin; but, he had an object to accom- plish, and he kept down his speed for a short time. As he sped along, he reached up and began unloosening his rifle, still fastened behind his shoulders. It was rather difficult to do this, and main- tain his high rate of speed at the same time; and while engaged in untying the fastening, un- consciously to himself, he had lost considerable ground, The first warning he had of this state of the case, was by hearing the triumphant whoop of the Apache, who doubtlessly looked upon his flagging footsteps as evidence that he was ex- hausted, and would fall an easy prey. With the suddenness of lightning, the trapper wheeled about and pointed his rifle straight at the savage. The latter was startled at this unexpected apparition, and drew back his tomahawk to hurl it at his foe now turned at bay; but ere it left his hand, the gun was discharged, and the Apache, with a howling shriek, threw up his arms and fell dead. The Apaches who had withdrawn from the chase witnessed this affair from a distance, and saw the fatal mistake they had committed in withdrawing from the chase at so early a stage. Still hopmg to accomplish something they re- sumed the pursuit, but in a few moments the fugitive vanished and they gave it up. Knowing the persistency and cunning of the Apaches, Buck Buckram did not cease his run- ning with the disappearance of the pursuers. , He had been in such business once before, and had come terribly near losing his life, from | a 9 acting upon the fr pa that all danger was really over when it appeared to be. He slackened his speed somewhat, but kept up a good gait, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure that none of enemies were stealing a march upon him. : This manner of procedure he kept up for per- oan half an hour, when he came soon to a walk, muttering to himself at the same time: ‘Sorry I hadn’t time to stop and raise the ha’r of thatered-skin, fur his impudence in fol- lerin’ me so close. Howsomever, I might have lost my own if I’d tried it.” He was now in a section as rough and uneven as any he had ever been in, and with consider- able wood, so that it was a capital cover for en- emies to maneuver against each other. But there was no further necessity of playing hide-and-seek with the Apaches, and he ha halted to consider upon a far different subject. The afternoon was now well advanced, and it was evident that little could be done until the morrow; but he was not a man to hesitate or prove dilatory when he had decided upon a line of conduct. “Now fur little Bess!” he exclaimed, ‘and may Buck Buckram never see his little one ag’in if he ever gives up afore he gits her.” CHAPTER XVIII LITTLE BESS. THE flight and escape of Buck Buckram was a remarkable one, and such as a» man does not often experience in a lifetime. Under the help of Providence, it was due mainly to its auda- city, and the powerful nerve displayed by the ee ut here was one, for whom there was no pos- sibility of escape—one in whom we have no lit- tle interest, and whose fortunes we have already followed. Little Bess, as her companion prepared to charge out among her enemies, cheerily return- ed his good-by, and patiently awaited the issue of events. e had no icion of the artifice Buck had adopted, and little dreamed that when her two companions left the cavern, one of them was a dead man. After the rush of the hunter there was an un- usual stillness around the mouth of the cave for a few minutes. A number of Apaches had dashed away in pursuit, while the others a peared to be standing and staring in blan amazement at the scene. ® Then came the erack of rifles, and the reced- ing whoops of the pursuers, followed by a few moments more of quiet. With the falling of the bowlder at the en- trance, there had been a great inward rush of smoke, so that the little prisoner assured] would have perished, but for the ‘ air-hole, which still stood her well in her time of poet But a short time elapsed, when a peculiar noise was heard at the entrance. The smoke was too thick, and the effort too painful to the eyes, for Bess to tell what it meant; but it sounded to her as if some one was drawing the embers and coals away from the place, so as to admit him without danger. | Such proved to be the case, and shortly after Velasquies dashed into the cavern, with'a fear- ful imprecation. ‘* Bess! Bess! where are you? That dog hasn’t run away with you, has he?’ He ran gee around, clutching and clawin the air, as though he expected to find her afloa in the heavy atmosphere. | ‘Bess, I say, why don’t you speak to me?” he continued, choking and half-stran ling. The girl made no answer, she ‘bettie shrewd enough to allow him to think she was either dead or nearly so, being assured that she would then receive good treatment. ‘‘ I’m afeared she’s dead or run away with—” At this instant he stumbled against her. ‘* Dead, I do believe—” | And then, catching up the limp form, he hur- ried out the cave into the cpen air, . Here he placed her upon the ground, saying as he did so: ‘ ‘“‘Tt’s a wonder if she’s alive, fur I couldn’t stand it in that infarnal place fur five minutes longer. veral Apaches had gathered around her and discovered at once that animation had not been suspended. A little shaking and blowing | in her face, and she began to gasp and struggle, as though still striving with death. It was seve- ral minutes before she opened her fine blue eyes, and looking about her with a bewildered air, showed that she was herself again. The moment it became certain that little Bess was really alive, the feelings of the half-breed appeared to undergo a change. His first pro- ’ / ‘comic 00 SCE)